Takata Airbag Recall: A Nightmare for Automakers and Consumers

The Takata airbag recall is one of the largest and most complex recalls in automotive history, impacting millions of vehicles worldwide. Here are some interesting facts and notable incidents related to this recall:

Interesting Facts:

1. Massive Scale: The recall involved over 100 million airbags globally, affecting around 19 different automakers including Honda, Toyota, BMW, Ford, and GM. In the U.S. alone, about 67 million airbags were recalled.
2. Faulty Component: The recall was due to defective inflators that could explode with excessive force, sending metal shrapnel into the vehicle’s interior. This defect was linked to the use of ammonium nitrate as a propellant without a proper drying agent, which could degrade over time due to humidity.
3. Deaths and Injuries: The faulty airbags have been linked to at least 25 deaths globally and more than 400 injuries, primarily from shrapnel injuries caused by the exploding inflators.
4. Longest Running Recall: The Takata airbag recall began in 2008 and continues to this day, with cars still being called back for replacement parts. It is expected to continue until 2025 in some countries.
5. Company Bankruptcy: In 2017, Takata filed for bankruptcy due to the financial strain of the recall, lawsuits, and compensation claims. The cost of the recall is estimated to be over $24 billion.
6. Criminal Charges: In 2017, Takata Corporation pleaded guilty to criminal wrongdoing and paid $1 billion in fines and restitution. It was discovered that Takata had falsified test data to cover up the airbag flaws.
7. Widespread Impact: The recall involved over 50 million vehicles in the U.S. alone. Many consumers waited years for replacement parts due to the scale of the recall and production limitations.
8. Early Deaths and Honda’s Role: The first known death linked to Takata airbags occurred in 2009, when a Honda Accord driver in the U.S. was killed. Honda, which was Takata’s largest customer, was later found to have known about the potential risks as early as 2004 but did not take swift action to address the issue.
9. High-Humidity Danger: Vehicles located in humid climates like Florida, Puerto Rico, and parts of Southeast Asia faced higher risks of airbag explosions. As a result, recall efforts prioritized these regions where humidity sped up the degradation of ammonium nitrate.
10. Global Disruptions: The recall led to global disruptions, causing manufacturing delays, dealerships swamped with repairs, and millions of vehicles becoming potentially hazardous to drive while waiting for replacement parts.
11. Accidents Even After Recalls: In some tragic cases, drivers who had their vehicles recalled did not get the airbag fixed in time. One case involved a driver in Texas in 2016 who died when the airbag inflator exploded despite the recall notification being sent months earlier.
12. Lawsuits and Settlements: Multiple lawsuits were filed against automakers and Takata by victims and families affected by the defective airbags. In 2018, automakers like Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, and BMW agreed to a $553 million settlement to compensate affected consumers.
13. Post-Bankruptcy: After Takata’s bankruptcy, its remaining assets were sold to the Chinese-owned company Key Safety Systems, which continued managing the recall and supplying replacement inflators under the new name “Joyson Safety Systems.”